Behind the Mask
by roxas4ever14
Summary: Axel's had a rough past. And coming to a new school has only made things worse. Or has it? Maybe he can find his salvation here. Maybe he can start all over. Maybe, just maybe... he'll be able to chase his dream of becoming a famous singer. What can go wrong when you have a group of supportive friends to help you along the way? Main Pairings: AkuRoku Side Pairings: Zemyx, Soriku!
1. The First Day is Always the Longest

**A/N: If anyone's noticed, I've deleted some of my other stories so I could rewrite and write other things. I hope no one minds? **

**I've had this story idea on my mind a lot recently. Another Akuroku! I think this one will be pretty good. Who knows, I like this idea as much as Passing. Maybe I'll be able to finish both! This and Passing are going to be pretty long, at least that's what I hope. **

**So basically, this is going to be about Axel wanting to sing and stuff. I don't know, you should read it to find out!**

**Enjoy the first installment!**

"_Well, I know the feeling, of finding yourself stuck out on the ledge. And there ain't no healing," _He sang along to the radio as he pulled out a pair of pants and a button up shirt to wear for the day. _"From cutting yourself with the jagged edge."_

The red head hummed along with the rest of the song as he pulled the shirt over his head and fell backwards onto his bed. He sighed and looked around his room. It was so unfamiliar to him. The brown, torn-up boxes were still sitting in the corner from a few days ago. His guitar was sitting in its case leaning on the wall. He hasn't been able to use it in forever. Sure, the new house was nice but he missed his old room that he had become so accustomed to.

"Axel Flynn, if you don't hurry up, you'll be late for school!" His mother's voice rang through the somewhat empty house. He rolled his eyes and got up from his bed and pulled a pair of shoes out from under his bed. They were red high tops, the color matching his hair almost exactly. Axel looked himself over in the mirror that was hanging on his closet door. His black jeans and button up black tee complemented his look perfectly. At least, that's what he thought.

The red head grabbed his backpack from off the floor and made his way down downstairs. He heard his Mom in the kitchen, talking on the phone with someone. He decided that instead of disturbing her conversation, he would watch some T.V. He grabbed the remote off the table and pressed the on button. The screen went from black to a flash of colors, the teen immediately recognizing it as VH1. It was a music video by someone called Nicki Manaj or something like that.

Axel stuck out his tongue, not liking the sound of her music and began to surf through the channels. Before he could decide on something to watch, his Mom came out of the kitchen and gave him a stern look.

"Axel, come eat breakfast," she said. "You don't have time to surf through channels aimlessly." The red head turned off the T.V and walked into the kitchen, sniffing the air and smiling slightly. He saw the chocolate pancakes piled on a plate on the table and he headed straight towards them. He loved the taste of chocolate, there's no denying that. The teen's Mom smiled at the sight.

"So honey, are you excited for your first day of school?" Axel stabbed two pancakes with his fork and lifted them to his plate.

"I guess you can say that I'm feeling _some _sort of emotion," Axel told her. His Mom gave him a concerned look and walked over to the table. She placed a hand on his free one and he quickly tore it away, shooting a glare in her direction. She looked a bit surprised but sighed and got up, walking away from the table and to the doorway. She stopped right before she walked out and looked back at her son who was no longer eating. She turned back and walked out, wishing that in some way that she could help her troubled son.

Once she left, Axel resumed eating his breakfast slowly, making sure to watch his time. About twenty minutes later, he'd finished and was at the door, car keys in hand. He opened the door and walked out to his red Camero and hopped in, starting it up. He noticed on that the steering wheel had a note taped onto it that read: _Don't forget about the soccer team. _It was written in his father's handwriting. He tore the note off and balled it up. Axel sighed, placing the key in the ignition forcefully. The rumble of the engine soothed him somehow as he pulled out of the driveway and headed towards his new school.

He pulled into the parking lot ten minutes later, getting looks from many people. This school wasn't full of kids who had parents that were loaded with cash so it was unusual to see someone driving a car that looked as nice as his did. Great, he thought. Now people are staring.

He rolled his eyes and pulled into one of the spaces in the back of the lot. He got out, trying not to look stupid. The first place he had to go was the office to get his schedule. Luckily, the school put signs up for times like this. He walked in the direction that the sign pointed towards as people watched him go. Axel tried to act like he didn't notice but it was hard. The news of the rich kid was bound to travel around quickly.

He saw the sign that said 'Office' is big, bold letters and walked through the double door, glad that he got past his staring peers before he exploded. He was greeted by a kind smile from a lady behind the desk who looked like she was in her mid to late twenties. _Smile back Axel, you big idiot, _he thought. He followed his own instructions and returned her gesture.

"How may I help you?" she asked. Axel shifted his weight uncomfortably. He really had no idea what to do. He'd been in the same place for sixteen years and not once did he think that he was ever going to move. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

"Um, well I'm new here and I'm coming to pick up my schedule." Well at least he didn't sound like a _complete _idiot. Just a small one. The woman behind the desk turned to the computer and started typing something in before looking back up at him. "Axel Flynn?" He nodded. With a click of the mouse, the printer behind her started up. She took the piece of paper and handed it to him.

"This is your schedule. Now you were signed up for Music and Chorus but that got changed so your classes have been replaced." Axel rolled his eyes and made a mental note to 'thank' his father later. "Since you're new here, we've assigned someone to give you a tour of the school and direct you to your classes. Oh, there he is now." She pointed towards the door that had just closed, a blonde boy in front of it. "Good morning Roxas and how are you?"

He smiled up at her and shrugged. "Same old, same old. How about you Aerith?" She giggled and her eyes lit up with what the red head recognized as joy. "Oh, nothing. I'm just getting married!" She held up her left hand to show the ring to the boy. He gasped and examined the ring with his eyes.

"Wow, Aerith! So Zack actually did ask you, huh? He finally grew a pair!" Axel tried to hide his smile forming on his lips. Hearing a boy who looked so innocent say something like that just can't be taken seriously. Aerith looked on the brink of crying when she noticed that Axel was still standing there, waiting.

"Oh! Roxas, this is Axel." She pointed to him as she spoke his name. "And Axel, this is Roxas, your guide." Roxas smiled up at him and started to walk away from the desk, waving to Aerith as he went. Axel followed the boy as he examined him from behind.

Purple Aeropostle shirt, blue skinny jeans, and a pair of Vans. With his attitude and his look, he has to be popular. "So Axel," Roxas said. "Let me see your schedule."

Axel handed the paper off to the boy, watching the boy as he examined it. He smiled and handed it back to him, walking in another direction, Axel now at his side. What grade is this kid in? He looks like a freshman or a sophomore, maybe even a junior but there's no way that he was a senior like the red head. Unless he was just a midget or something.

"You have fourth period with me so we'll go to that class last. First, let's go to where your pre-Cal is at." Axel nodded and the blonde raised an eyebrow. "You don't talk much, do you?" Axel shrugged. "It all depends on who I'm talking to," the older teen said.

Roxas chuckled and started to walk, motioning for Axel to follow. "So aren't you the one who drove up in that shiny red Camero or is that someone else?" Wow, news really did get around fast, doesn't it? "Yup, that's mine," Axel said smiling.

"So I take it that you're rich?" Axel nodded. "Well, be careful. People will try to friend you around here for that reason and that reason only. If you haven't noticed, people here don't really have a lot of money to spend whenever they like." Axel furrowed his eyebrows. There were two things he got from that. One: Roxas was looking out for him by telling him to choose his friends wisely and two: he was saying that Axel was some sort of snobby rich kid who spent money with no care in the world. He hoped it wasn't the latter.

"I'll… be sure to remember that."

They stopped walking and Roxas pointed towards double doors. "That's the cafeteria. Lunch is separated into three sections and which one you're in depends on the class. You'll figure that out once you get to your third period." He pointed in the other direction to a classroom across the hall. "You also got lucky. Your third period is right over there so you'll get to lunch pretty quickly."

They continued to walk through the hallways, Roxas pointing to thing as he went, showing Axel the library, court yard, football field, gym, and other things including his first two classes. All that was left was his fourth period. He wasn't sure what it was since all it said was TA on his schedule and he was sure he wasn't a teacher's assistant since Roxas has said that he was in his class.

They went down the elective hallway and stopped in front of a door that was slightly ajar. "This," the blonde said. "Is you're fourth period . Yeah, it says TA on your schedule but that's just a cover up. This isn't and actual… class. You'll have it next semester too. Just call it TA. We all do. I'll explain more when you get here. Right now, we have to get to class the bell will ring any minute now."

"Wait," Axel said. Roxas tilted his head to the side, questioning the red head. "What grade are you in?" Roxas smiled. "I'm a sophomore. I'll see you later Axel." He turned around and walked to his first period.

Axel headed off to his pre-Cal class that he was sure he was going to hate it. He always hated anything to do with math. Once he walked through the door, the bell rang for class to begin. Damn, that was close, he thought.

He took a seat in the far right corner, trying to make sure that he didn't attract anyone's attention. It worked, at least until a slate-haired boy entered the room. He was wearing purple everything. Purple Hollister shirt, purple skinny jeans, purple shoes, the works. Said boy walked over to where Axel was sitting and sat in the seat to his left. The boy looked at Axel from the corner of his eye, a small smile forming on his lips before he looked away and grabbed a notebook from his backpack.

Axel looked at the boy for a moment and then around the classroom. They literally put him in a school full of lunatics. What were his parents thinking?

The teacher walked in, his blonde hair spiking out in all kinds of directions, almost like Roxas'. Axel remembered that the schedule said something like Strife, C. So Mr. Strife it is. He did the bell ringer that was on the board and listened to the teacher explain it before zoning out and falling asleep with his head leaning on his hand.

The next think he knew, his head came in contact with the desk as he woke up. He brought a hand up to his head and rubbed the sore spot. He noticed that everyone in the class had left except the slate-haired boy who was standing in front of him, chuckling. Axel glared, realizing that it was him who moved his hand and made his head fall.

"Why did you do that?" he asked? The boy shrugged and grabbed his backpack from the chair. "This is the first day of school. You were either going to get up or you were going to sit through two classes of pre-Cal. I thought I would wake you so I did." The red head rolled his eyes. "You didn't have to do it that way, you know." The boy laughed and stuck out his hand.

"Zexion, nice to meet you. Your name?" Axel smiled mischievously and took his hand. This kid seemed interesting. "Axel, got it memorized?" Zexion returned the look and dropped his hand to his side.

"You're in 'TA' fourth period, aren't you?" he asked.

Axel nodded. "How'd you know?"

"Let's say… intuition. I'm there too. I take it Roxas has explained everything to you?"

Axel shook his head. "Actually, no. Not a thing. He said he would when I got there. Honestly, this makes no sense to me anyway."

Zexion sighed and headed for the doorway, Axel following behind. "Good grief, that boy can so stupid sometimes."

"Wait, since you're in that 'class', can't you explain it to me?"

Zexion shook his head. "It's really not my place. I can tell you that you'll like it though."

That's the second person who said that. Hopefully they were telling the truth. He didn't want to spend his senior year dreading every second of it.

"I also believe," Zexion spoke. "That you have B lunch with me."

Axel blinked. "How do you know that?" This boy has to be a mind reader or something, the teen thought.

Zexion held up a folded white piece of paper. "Your schedule fell out of your pocket while you were taking a nap. Luckily, I picked it up for you. You're in Demyx's class for third. I wish you the best, for that boy is absolutely insane. Depending on whom he's around of course." Zexion handed the paper back to Axel and stopped in front of what Axel recognized as his second period. "For now, I think we should get to our second period, no?" The slate-haired boy motioned for Axel to walk in, Axel doing just that as Zexion followed. They took seats in the back again, the red head managing to stay awake for his Spanish class.

Once the bell rang for second period to end, the two teens parted ways as Axel headed off towards his third period. He walked into his chemistry class and noticed that all the desks were covered in name tags. He looked around on the table's and found his somewhere in the middle. His lab partner was already there; dressed in all black, eye liner running underneath his eyes. His hair looked like a flash back from the 80's, styled in a Mohawk, mullet type of thing.

He looked over at the name tag that was labeled 'Demyx'. Was this who Zexion was talking about? He didn't seem so energetic. Maybe there were two people with that name, but the chances were slim to nothing. Demyx looked up from his notebook he was writing in and watched as Axel took his seat. Demyx narrowed his eyes, as if he was studying him. His eyes went wide after a few moments and he tore a piece of paper from his notebook and started writing furiously.

Soon enough, a piece of paper was in the red head's hands. Axel raised an eyebrow and unfolded the note. It read:

_Okay, don't be alarmed! I'm Demyx, Zexy told me about you! I'm in TA with you guys! Oh, and I wanna let you know that I don't act the way I look. This is just a cover up thingy! You'll see in TA! You'll love it there!_

Three, that's how many people who've said that he would enjoy it there. Axel smiled and shook his head, Demyx taking notice. The blonde took the note from the red head and wrote other things on it. Once Axel got it back it told him that lunch would start half way into class and that he could sit with the other teen if he wanted.

Axel nodded and Demyx jumped slightly in his seat, getting a few looks from people and he immediately returned to writing in his notebook. The bell rang and the teacher began his lecture about the periodic table which Axel had learned ten times over. About halfway through class, a bell sounded in the classroom and everyone got up, heading towards the cafeteria that was right across the hall.

Demyx walked beside him, talking for the first time. "Man, I'm glad I have a class with another person from TA! Sure you don't know what it is but you will." Axel smiled and raised an eyebrow. His face, voice, and hair don't match his look at all. You would picture him more in what Roxas was wearing than anything else.

"I've heard that a lot," Axel responded. Demyx nodded. "I'm sure you have. I also heard Roxas didn't explain anything to you. Leave it to that guy to leave you wondering the whole day. That's what he did with me when I moved here last year!" The red head had to admit that he was wondering what exactly TA was but he was also a little worried. What if he _didn't_ like it?

Demyx and Axel stood in line and inched slowly forward as each person was through. Eventually, they got to the front and finished paying for their food. Demyx walked Axel over to an empty table. Once they were both seated, Axel scanned the cafeteria for either Roxas or Zexion and noticed both but they were both sitting with a group of popular kids.

Demyx noticed this and looked in the direction Axel's eyes were pointed. He turned back around when he saw what caught the red head's attention and smiled. "Now now, you'll get an explanation Axel. How about I tell you a little bit so you stop staring?" Axel shook his head slightly and shifted his eyes so that he was looking at the teen in front of him.

"You see, there are groups in high school. Everyone knows that. The way you get placed in them is mostly by first impressions and what you do from there. Once you make your impression, no one forgets it. You have already made your impression. Driving up in that car of yours was what allows you access into that group over there." Demyx nodded his head in the direction Roxas and Zexion were sitting.

"But, the invitation time is limited. You see, Roxas and Zexion have made their impression. That's why they can be there. They maintain that impression for a reason. You know, once you're at the top, you can easily come down. Once you're demoted, it's nearly impossible to go up. If you're there in the first place, you are never going up. That's high school for you." Demyx was poking at his food with his fork, making sure that it wasn't alive and that it was safe to eat.

Axel turned his eyes back in the direction the other two were sitting and watched them act the way stereotypical 'populars' were supposed to act. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone take a seat next to Demyx. His eyes shifted again to a brunette dressed similar to Demyx.

"Demy, why is the new TA member staring at my brother?" The blonde shrugged. "Little boy fetish," he answered. Axel reached across the table and flicked Demyx on the head. He placed and hand on his head and looked hurt. The brunette laughed and turned his attention to the red head.

"I'm Sora. I know you're in the TA but I didn't get a chance to hear your name." Axel examined the boy, finding that his features were very similar to Roxas'. Other than the hair color of course. "The name's Axel. Nice to meet you." He smiled at the brunette who returned the gesture.

They talked for a while longer before it was time to go back to class. The two older teens said goodbye to Sora and headed to their class. That lasted for another hour before they got to leave to their fourth. Luckily, their teacher didn't give them any homework for the night. Demyx told the red head that this teacher gives out so much homework, it's insane.

Now the class Axel had been waiting for was here. He walked down the hallway with Demyx, stopping in front of the door. "Everyone should already be in there," Demyx stated. Axel nodded and opened the door. A set of stairs was in front of him and he walked up them, accompanied by Demyx.

Once he reached the top, he saw something he least expected. Demyx brushed past him and picked up a bag that was lying on the floor and headed towards the bathroom that was located in the class. Axel's eyes darted all over the room, taking in everything.

Roxas was sitting on a couch, wearing loose, comfortable checkered clothes. Sora was sitting next to him, wearing bright colors, completely different from what he was wearing at lunch. Zexion was sitting on a bean bag, reading and wearing darker clothes from what he was wearing before. He noticed a few others but didn't know who they were. There were three girls; one was a blonde, a red head, and a girl with raven colored hair. There was a man with pink hair, a guy in a black beanie, and a guy wearing green camouflage.

Roxas looked up for a second and smiled once he noticed Axel. He got up and walked over to the teen, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Surprising isn't it?" Axel nodded. Just then, Demyx walked out of the bathroom, wearing a blue tee and blue jeans, all the makeup he was wearing previously had been washed off. He walked over to where Zexion was sitting and began to pester the boy to get something.

"Er, I think we owe you an explanation, huh?"

**A/N: Whew! That was a long one, wasn't it? No not really… Just under 4,000 words (unless you count the A/N. That's plenty in my opinion. **

**So do you guys like? I put a spin on everyone's usual appearance for the 'during school' part. Like Sora was wearing dark colors and so was Demyx. Weird, right? Well there's an explanation!**

**Also, if any of you noticed how Axel and his parents have a rough relationship. And what's this about soccer and a guitar? Hopefully I remember all of this!**

**If there's spelling errors, sorry, I really didn't want to proof read it! I hope you liked it! Please review so I know what you think and what I can improve on and stuff! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. A Sleepover at Roxy's House

**A/N: Another chapter? Yes indeed! If you're reading this now then I'm so happy that you're reading this far into the story! I do not own Always by Saliva I just wanted you use it! I hope there aren't any spelling errors because I didn't proof read it again...**

**Chapter Two here we come!**

"Well," Roxas started. Axel was sitting across from him in a bean bag chair; similar to the one Zexion was sitting in. "This is a paradise basically, somewhere that we can act like ourselves without judgment from our peers. People can be cruel so we just act out there the way we're accepted."

Axel raised an eyebrow. Why didn't they just act themselves and hang out with each other? What's wrong with being you? Who cares what other people think! Instead of saying something like that, he asked "Why did you put me in here when you hardly know me?" His voice was probably a bit colder than he would've liked but didn't show any sign of regret.

Roxas sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you remember Riku?" Axel nodded. How could he forget? Riku's the one who helped him back in middle school and high school. Without him, he'd dead by now, for sure.

"Once he heard you were coming here he contacted my brother and told us. Marluxia, being the guidance counselor, put you in this class with us. Riku just wants you to act the way you did before the 'incident' as he put it."

The red head's eyes widened. "He didn't tell you about it, did he?" Roxas shook his head. Axel sighed in relief, thankful that Riku kept his promise. "So how does your brother know Riku?" Roxas smiled and looked over to Sora who blushed. "Long-distance relationship. They met online." Axel smirked and chuckled softly. He'd have to talk to Riku later about keeping his relationship a secret.

"Hey, Riku also said you could sing! I wanna hear!" Sora spoke up, his blush fading. Axel frowned and instantly thought about ways to kill his old friend. Demyx stopped bothering Zexion and ran up to the red head. "Really? Oh, I can play the guitar for you! I bet I know any song you do!" With that said, he ran off into the back room, the sound of things falling could be heard. Zexion rolled his eyes and got up to go help the blonde fool.

Axel sighed. "Might as well. Just remind me to kill Riku, will you?" Sora nodded and he pulled Roxas up onto the couch. The boy names Seifer was propped against the back wall, watching the group as the other boy, Hayner was talking to him. Marluxia sat down on the loveseat and crossed his legs. The three girls, Namine, Kairi, and Xion all sat on the floor in front of the couch where Roxas and Sora were sitting.

Soon enough, Zexion and Demyx emerged from the back room, the blonde holding an electric guitar and amp. Zexion proceeded to the couch and sat on Sora's right. Demyx took a stool from the back of the room and placed it next to where Axel was standing.

"So what am I playing boss?" Demyx asked, strumming the guitar once. Axel thought for a moment before whispering something into Demyx's ear. The blonde smiled and plugged the guitar into the amplifier. "Good choice," Demyx whispered in Axel's ear. Demyx gave him a signal that he was ready to go and so they both started. Demyx started to play and Axel started singing only a second after the guitar started.

_I hear... a voice say "Don't be so blind"... _

_It's telling me all these things... _

_That you would probably hide... _

_Am I... your one and only desire... _

_Am I the reason you breathe... _

_Or am I the reason you cry... _

_Always... always... always... always... always... always... _

_I just can't live without you... _

_I love you... _

_I hate you... _

_I can't get around you... _

_I breathe you... _

_I taste you... _

_I can't live without you... _

_I just can't take any more... _

_This life of solitude... _

_I guess that I'm out the door... _

_And now I'm done with you... _

_I feel... like you don't want me around... _

_I guess I'll pack all my things... _

_I guess I'll see you around... _

_It's all... been bottled up until now... _

_As I walk out your door... _

_All I hear is the sound... _

_Always... always... always... always... always... always... _

_I just can't live without you... _

_I love you... _

_I hate you... _

_I can't get around you... _

_I breathe you... _

_I taste you... _

_I can't live without you... _

_I just can't take any more... _

_This life of solitude... _

_I guess that I'm out the door... _

_And now I'm done with you... _

_I love you... _

_I hate you... _

_I can't live without you... _

_I left my head around your heart... _

_Why would you tear my world apart...? _

_Always... always... always... always... _

_I see... the blood all over your hands... _

_Does it make you feel... more like a man... _

_Was it all... just a part of your plan... _

_The pistol's shakin' in my hands... _

_And all I hear is the sound... _

_I love you... _

_I hate you... _

_I can't live without you... _

_I breathe you... _

_I taste you... _

_I can't live without you... _

_I just can't take any more... _

_This life of solitude... _

_I guess that I'm out the door... _

_And now I'm done with you... _

_I love you... _

_I hate you... _

_I can't live without you... _

_I love you... _

_I hate you... _

_I can't live without you... _

_I just can't take any more..._

_This life of solitude... _

_I pick myself off the floor... _

_And now I'm done with you... _

_Always..._

_Always... _

_Always... _

Axel finished singing, slightly out of breath. For the majority of the song, he had his eyes closed so he didn't see everyone's expression until he opened his eyes. He got a round of applause from everyone that was sitting in there, even Seifer. Honestly, he never thought that he was very good but maybe he'd been lying to himself because that's what his parents made him believe. It felt good to be noticed for once.

"Wow! Riku was right! You're amazing!" Sora was jumping up and down on the couch, making Roxas and Zexion move with him. Both of them grabbed one of his arms and held him down. Roxas, while keeping a hold on his brother, turned to face Axel.

"Really, that was amazing. Have you ever performed before, in front of an audience?" Axel shook his head, making Sora gasp and brake free of the two teens grasp. He wrapped his arms around Axel's waist, taking the red head by surprise. "We'll get you discovered buddy! Promise!" The group of girls giggled amongst each other and Roxas rolled his eyes. "Stop suffocating him Sora. Give the guy some space." Sora let go and pouted.

Demyx was bothering Zexion as he was doing before so no one took notice of them two at the moment. Axel thought for a moment, remembering that he had to do something. The memory came flying back to him and he felt a sudden weight pile up on his shoulders. He hated doing this but his parents forced him to.

"Hey guys," Axel said, getting almost everyone's attention. "Does anyone know when soccer tryouts start?" Marluxia spoke up for the first time since Axel had gotten there. "Yeah, they start next week. The coach allows people a week to get settled into their school schedule before he starts. Are you thinking of trying out?" Axel nodded.

No one noticed how Axel's mood had changed except Roxas. He noticed how the red head all of a sudden looked depressed. Didn't he want to play soccer? Why else would he go? The young blonde made mental note to ask the red head about it later. Right now, they should just relax.

"Hey Roxas!" Sora was sitting across from the blonde and was waving his hands in front of his face. "You've got to invite Axel, remember?" Roxas looked at his twin for a moment before realizing exactly what he was talking about.

"Oh, right! Hey Axel," The red head turned to look at the blonde. "We're having a sleepover tonight at my place. Do you want to come?" Axel smiled softly at the other teen. "Sure, I have nothing else to do. Where do you live?" Roxas pulled a phone out of his pocket and handed it to Axel. "Put your number in. I'll text you the directions." Axel nodded and typed his number in and saving the contact, handing the phone back to the blonde.

"Well, what do you guys want to do now?" Hayner asked, suddenly appearing behind the blonde, making him jump forward, bumping into Axel in the process. Axel stumbled but grabbed the blonde to prevent him from falling. Hayner was laughing and Seifer, who was standing behind him, was smiling.

"Hayner! You scared the crap outta me!" Roxas turned to face the teen who was trying to stop laughing. "Roxas… you're just too easy! You should've seen your face! Priceless!" Roxas blushed and walked away, finding a spot next to Zexion. He crossed his arms and looked straight ahead of him. He seemed to be pouting in a very Sora like manner.

Axel just watched as Hayner attempted to talk to Roxas but the angered blonde smacked his approaching hand away. Hayner pretended to look hurt but Roxas didn't look like he regretted a thing. Things continued like this for a little while before Hayner finally got Roxas to smile. Sure, it took a lot of effort but it worked in the end.

For the rest of the time, they talked about unimportant things. Axel learned that even after the bell, they would sometimes stay in here and hang out. Most of their parents didn't care where they were and they had nothing better to do. Except homework of course but they did that when they got home.

Soon enough, the bell rang and Axel decided that he should leave. He didn't want to give his Mom another reason to worry. God knows that's all she does now, he thought. He said his goodbye's and headed towards the parking lot. He got into his car and drove back to his house, glad that he would be leaving later that night.

He pulled into the driveway about fifteen minutes later and climbed out of the vehicle, looking the door behind him. Once he was in the house, he headed straight for his room, hoping to avoid his Mom. He closed his bedroom door and turned on his stereo, pulling his pre-Cal homework. He lay on his bed for a little while, trying to solve the impossible math problems. Eventually, he quit and discarded his notebook somewhere on the floor.

Axel sighed and lay on his bed, bored out of his mind. He had no idea what he could do to entertain himself. There was always the T.V but he didn't want to risk running into either of his parents. He thought back to the events of his day and smiled. A real smile, not a fake one that he always used. He actually liked Roxas and his group. They were… entertaining.

A sudden vibration on his thigh pulled him out of his thoughts and he dug around in his pocket for his phone. The screen was blinking and on it read: _1 New Message. _He pressed a button below the screen and the message popped up.

_Hey Axel, it's Roxas. I just wanted to give you my address for the sleepover. I live at 555 Twilight Dr. Come anytime you want. Demyx and Zexion are already here. I'll see you when you get here!_

Axel finished reading the message and turned the screen off, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He got off his bed and grabbed a duffel bag that he had used in the move and shoved clothes, his school clothes, and other essentials in it. He slung the bag over his shoulder and headed downstairs, looking around for any sign of his parents. They wouldn't mind him going but he just didn't want to explain to them anything. It always ended up turning into an argument.

His parents weren't in the living room so he went down the last few steps and grabbed his keys from the table by the door. He stepped out into the warm air, the sky an orangish-yellow color. He headed for his car and opened the door, throwing the bag in the backseat. He put the key into the ignition and drove off; putting the address into the GPS his father had provided him with. It only took about five minutes or so to actually get to Roxas' house so at least he wasn't driving across town.

He looked out his window and examined the house. It was a small, one story house, spread out wide so it made it look bigger. It was ten times smaller compared to his own. It's something he wished he could live in.

He got out of the car, grabbing his bag as he did so. He made his way up to the door and ringed the doorbell. He stood there waiting, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. The door opened and he was greeted by a kind smile and spiky brown hair. Sora grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him forward, catching him by surprise.

"Axel, I'm so glad you could make it!" the brunette said, jumping up and down, still holding onto the red head's arm. "I have a surprise for you!" They rounded the corner and Axel faced a boy with silver hair and a goofy smile. Axel stared, wide-eyed and in shock.

"Riku?" he managed to say. He never thought that he would see his best friend again or at least for a long time. The silverette smiled and patted the red head on the shoulder. "Yep, it's me so stop acting like you've seen a ghost or something." Axel smiled and punched his friend playfully in the arm.

"So what are you doing here Mr.? You never tell me anything anymore!" Riku's smile grew wider and put an arm around Sora who was casually standing by his side. "Two things," the silverette said, holding up two fingers. "One, I came here to see my boyfriend." He turned and kissed Sora on the check, making the younger teen blush. "Two, do you remember how I failed a grade so I'm always older than everyone else?" Axel nodded. "Well that makes me an eighteen year old senior who needs to finish school. I moved out of my parent's house and moved in with Sora. So that means I'll be going to your school!"

Axel smiled and hugged his friend. He was so glad Riku failed a grade, though that's probably not very good in some cases. He pulled away and faced Sora. "Watch out Sora. He's eighteen so that counts as rape!" he chuckled as the brunette blushed. "So where's your brother and the other two?" The brunette pointed to the doorway. "There down the hall. Roxas is trying to keep Zexion and Demyx calm."

Axel turned and left the room, allowing the two boys some alone time while he went to see what his new friends were doing. He went down the hall to an open room that he was guessing was the living room and saw something he wished he didn't.

On the couch, Roxas was laying on his back, trying to push Zexion off of him. In a playful manner, Zexion was trying to get his shirt off while Demyx was holding him down. They were both smiling evilly at the boy and looked up when they noticed Axel's presence.

Demyx smiled and let go of the younger blonde, allowing him to push Zexion off of him. "Oh thank god you're here!" Roxas said, climbing off the couch and hiding behind the red head. "They probably would have raped me if you didn't come." Axel chuckled and looked at the other two who were also laughing. Well, Demyx was dying more like it considering that he was rolling on the floor and grasping at his side.

"I will never, ever be in the same room alone with you guys again!" Roxas was still behind Axel, peeking out so he could see the other two. He looked a bit angry but at the same time playful. His flustered composure looked cute to Axel and he smiled to himself.

"Aw, come on Roxy, we're not that bad!" Zexion said, leaning against the couch with his hands behind his head. Roxas furrowed his eyebrows. "I told you not to call me that, didn't I?" Zexion smiled and nodded. "Indeed you did, princess." The blonde rolled his eyes and moved from behind the red head who was now visibly smiling.

"Anyway, thanks for coming Axel, and, uh, sorry you had to see that." Axel grinned and wrapped his arm around the boy. "It was kind of cute actually. I didn't mind." Roxas blushed and turned his face away from the red head.

Axel felt a hand on his back and he looked to see Riku behind him. The silverette leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I haven't seen you act like that since before the 'incident'. Maybe moving was for the best, hmm?" Axel glared at Riku for bringing up such a rough subject and elbowed him in the stomach. Riku wrapped his arms around his body and collapsed to his knees.

"That hurt, asshole!" he said through painful gasps. Sora ran to his side, worried slightly but he knew that it wasn't something serious. Axel smiled smugly. "I know, that's why I did it." The red head looked back at Roxas whose blush had faded and had turned into a pinkish glow. He grabbed the boy's wrist and walked over to the couch. They sat down, Axel next to Zexion, just for extra precaution.

Demyx was lying on the floor, looking at the ceiling fan rotate in circles. He rolled over and to his side and pulled at Roxas' leg. "I'm so bored! This is your house, find something to do!" Roxas kicked Demyx's hand away and got up, walking to the T.V and opening the cabinet underneath it. Axel could see a ton of movies and CD's from where he was sitting. Roxas went through a bunch of movies and found one, chuckling to himself. He opened the box and took out the DVD, placing it in the DVD player on his left. He turned the T.V on and returned to his seat next to Axel.

"Look Demyx, your favorite movie!" Demyx sat up and raised an eyebrow. "You have Hairspray?" Roxas shook his head. "Nope, something even better." The menu popped up and "Silent Hill" in red letter showed. Demyx squeaked and grabbed Zexion's arm, pulling the slate-haired boy off the couch. Riku, who had recovered from Axel's blow, was sitting in the loveseat with Sora. Roxas laughed at the older blonde's reaction and pressed play.

Not that the red head was ever going to admit this but he hated horror movies. They creeped him out and gave him nightmares for a week after watching them. He kept quiet though and watched at the blonde boy next to him had no problem watching the blood and gore as it came on the screen. You would never think that this kid could withstand that much. Whenever something happened on screen, Axel would flinch then look around to make sure no one noticed. Roxas, being right next to him, noticed and scared him a few times by randomly grabbing onto his arm quickly and making a scary sound.

By the end of the movie, Axel and Demyx were scarred for life and Roxas had his good round of laughs. Zexion's arm was red and beat up die to Demyx clawing and scratching it as he went. Zexion shot daggers at the blonde and killed him in his mind repeatedly. Sora had fallen asleep on Riku sometime during the movie so Riku just watched the other four.

"Wow Axel, I never thought you would get scared so easily," Roxas said, patting him on the back. Axel shoved him playfully. "Yeah well it didn't help scaring me every four seconds. Now I'm going to have nightmares." Roxas chuckled and grabbed a pillow that was lying idle next to him. He aimed it at his brother and threw it, successfully waking him up. "Roxas! I'm going to kill you!" the brunette said, Riku holding him back from slicing his brother into pieces. "You better have a good reason for waking me!"

Roxas nodded. "We're going to play a game. Zombie Hide and Seek. You up for it?" The anger drained out of the brunette's face and was replaced with excitement. "Of course I do!" He got up from the couch and ran out of the room, pulling Riku with him. Roxas rolled his eyes. "I guess he's getting a head start on hiding. Okay, Axel, this is how it goes. The person who's it has to act like a zombie. If they find you, you're a zombie too and you have to find everyone else. The person actually has to touch you to become a zombie. If you are found but not touched, run and try to hide again. Okay? Cool so Demyx is it!" Roxas ran out of the room, Demyx whining in complaint. Zexion smiled and exited the room, Axel exiting out a different door.

Behind him, Demyx had started counting. He turned down unfamiliar hallways and found a closet. He quickly opened the door and closed it behind him. He situated himself in a corner and used his cell phone for light. He sat there and waited. From somewhere in the house, he heard Sora scream and Demyx's laughter. A few minutes, later he heard a few people running and the door to the closet was flung open then closed again.

Roxas didn't move as the sound of feet flew past the door. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat down next to Axel. He smiled at the red head as he grabbed his own phone out of his pocket for extra light. "Nice hiding spot," he whispered. Axel smiled. "Why thank you."

"So, I guess someone found you?" the red head asked. Roxas nodded. "Yep, my brother did. So far, only he and Demyx are zombies."

Axel smiled and they didn't talk for another five minutes. Something came back to Roxas from earlier that day that he meant to ask Axel something. "Hey Axel?" he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Well, I was thinking about something earlier. Do you remember when you asked about soccer tryouts?" Axel nodded. "Well you seemed really depressed or something. Do you not like soccer?" Axel was quiet for a moment before he finally answered the boy.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this since I haven't even known you a day, but to answer your question, no, I don't like soccer. I've always liked music; no actually I've always _loved _music. My parents told me that it's an unrealistic dream and that's all it will ever be. They put me on a soccer team when I was five and I've been playing ever since. They think I can get into collage playing. It's pretty much been my life. That's all they care about really. They don't take into consideration how I feel or what I go through…"

Roxas watched as Axel's eyes filled with sadness. What parent would do that to their kid? Why would you tell your own son that his dream is just a dream? They forced him into something he hates and don't even care to ask him how he feels. This angered Roxas for a reason unknown to the boy. He wanted to help but he didn't know how to.

"Geez…" was all he could manage to say. Axel chuckled softly and smiled at the boy. "Hey, let's get off this depressing subject, hmm? Or else I'll sacrifice myself to the zombies!" Roxas rolled his eyes and returned the smile. "Stupid, don't leave me here alone!"

"Oh fine, whatever you say… Roxy!"

Roxas stared wide eyed at the red head. For once, the name sounded… _right _coming out of someone's mouth. He actually liked it. He smiled and shoved the red head playfully. "Yeah yeah, now be quiet or else you'll get Sora's attention!" he whispered pointing to the shadow standing in front of the door.

The door swung open and the two teens saw, Riku, Sora, Demyx, and Zexion standing before them smiling. "You guys are impossible to find," Demyx said. Axel got up and pulled Roxas with him. "I'm just that skilled, right Riku?" Riku nodded, silently noting his friend's behavior. It wasn't one hundred percent normal but it was close. That's what really made him smile.

For the rest of the time, they talked and played games like Monopoly and Twister. Twister put a lot of people in uncomfortable positions and when Riku and Sora played together, Riku kissed the brunette, making him fall and Riku was crowned the winner. Roxas' parents came home at one point but they just ignored the ruckus coming from the living room and went to bed. Eventually, they got to the point where people were yawning so Roxas had told everyone that it was time for bed. After all, they had school the next day.

"Okay," Roxas said, rubbing his eyes. "The sleeping arrangements. We only have three beds so we're all going to have to pair up. Okay?" Sora got up from the floor and slowly dragged the tired Riku into a room and closed the door. "I'll sleep with Zexy," Demyx said, raising a hand and then letting it fall back to his side. "Kay'," Roxas said, yawning again as he got up off the couch and grabbed Axel's hand leading him into his room. Demyx and Zexion headed off into the spare room and closed the door.

Axel lay on Roxas' bed, already changed into his pajamas from earlier that night. Roxas climbed under the covers, accidentally hitting Axel in the arm with his own. The red head winced at the cold touch and turned on his side to face the blonde. "Why are you so cold?" Axel asked, grabbing the blonde's hand and putting it between his. Roxas shrugged. "I think I might be getting a cold or something. Why are you so warm?" Axel smiled. "Because I'm so damn sexy. Duh." Roxas chuckled.

Maybe it was because the boy was tired, Axel didn't know but the blonde got closer to Axel and rested his head against Axel's chest. Not that the red head minded much, the cold body was just different. He felt Roxas shiver at his new found source of heat and moan softly. Axel blushed and did what he thought was appropriate. He wrapped his arms around the boy in hopes that he could completely warm the boy up. If he really was sick, warmth would be the best thing. And what's better than your own human heater?

Roxas' breathing slowed and Axel looked down at the sleeping boy in his arms. Maybe, if he got to know the boy better, he'd be able to open up to him more. He could tell him everything. Maybe their friendship could grow into something more. But for now, they were friends. After all, he said maybe.

**A/N: Do you guys like it? I was thinking that Roxas was going to have a sleepover and everyone else is used to it because it's a normal thing. **

**I didn't go very in depth with Axel's parents but I gave a little bit of an insight. So I hope that helps with the story plot!**

**Hey, a little small tiny bit of AkuRoku! Oh and Riku. Yes, I added him in! For Sora's sake! **

**I hope you guys like it. Can you review and let me know if you do? That would be awesome!**

**If any of you want to look up the song Axel sang, it's Always by Saliva**

**Thanks for reading!**


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